Helpful Information for SOE Graduate Students

Graduate program administration

The graduate programs operated by the School of the Environment are administered according to Program Bylaws approved by the Graduate School. Copies of bylaws for each degree program can be found at the departmental offices or from the Associate Director for Graduate Programs.

Additionally, graduate students must abide by and meet the regulations and policies set forth in the current Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual.

The Graduate School: This web site has important information students need to know concerning their graduate studies at Washington State University, including but not limited to: financing education, residency requirements, health services, housing, child care and international student concerns.

One of the most important components of the Graduate School website is the Forms page. The forms found here will be used for official steps in a student’s graduate program. Typically, these forms will be signed by the student, the faculty advisor (committee chair), members of the student’s committee, and the Associate Director for Graduate Programs.

Office of the Registrar: The office of the registrar includes general announcements and lists upcoming academic events and links to the time schedule, academic calendar, academic regulations, the University Catalog, residency information and more. 

Time Schedule (schedules of classes): Includes detailed course listings, information on registration procedures, payment of fees, textbooks, and the University academic calendar.

Residency 

In-state tuition for Washington residents is considerably less expensive than non-resident tuition for out-of-state students. Therefore, all domestic graduate students should establish Washington State Residency immediately upon arrival to Washington. Note that graduate assistantship appointments require that students reside in Washington. Non-resident tuition waivers for assistantships are available for a graduate student’s first year of graduate school only, regardless of whether they were appointed to an assistantship that year. After the first year, if a student has not established legal residency in Washington, the student will be responsible for paying the non-resident portion of their tuition. 

Exceptions to this policy include: 

1. International students, who are exempt from this requirement 
2. Members of certain U.S. tribes, per the American Indian Residency Bill 

Living outside the state of Washington (e.g. in Moscow, or any nearby Idaho or Oregon town), negates residency eligibility.

Students will need to establish ties in Washington State during their first year in the program to be eligible for residency the next year. Within two weeks of arriving on campus, students should be sure to complete the applicable items in the list. After they have lived in Washington for one year, they should submit a residency questionnaire to the Graduate School along with all of the following items:

• Any home purchase agreements, lease agreements, rents receipts or cancelled checks, or letters from landlords that verify physical residence in Washington for 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of the semester in which the student submits their residency application. 
• A copy of the student’s Washington State driver’s license. Students must obtain a Washington State driver’s license at least one year prior to the semester in which they apply for residency. If they do not drive, they should provide a copy of their Washington State identification card. 
• A copy of the student’s Washington State vehicle registration issued one year prior to the semester in which they apply for residency. Failure to provide this will likely result in a denial of Washington residency for tuition purposes. 
• A copy of Washington voter registration issued one year prior to the semester in which the student applies. 
• Proof of having established a bank account in Washington. Any other document the student must show that they have established ties in Washington for the one year prior to the semester in which they apply for residency (clubs, organization, etc.) 

Financing Education

Financial support for graduate students is most commonly available in the form of either a graduate teaching assistantship or research assistantship. Graduate assistantships normally include tuition waivers and health benefits, but do not include university fees each semester, which are subject to change. Find information about fees at the Cost and Finances page.  

Teaching Assistantships 

If students have been awarded a Teaching Assistantship (TA), they will have already received a letter stating the terms of that appointment. Teaching assistantships are state-supported, half-time, nine- month positions available to students with strong academic records. Teaching Assistantships require a 20 hours per week commitment of paid work and may involve teaching laboratory sections, grading homework and exams, answering questions during office hours, or any combination of those duties.

Research Assistantships

If students have been awarded a Research Assistantship (RA) position, they will have already received a letter stating the terms of that appointment and listing the faculty member who has agreed to provide funding. Research assistantships require a 20 hours per week commitment of paid work conducted for an externally funded research project, usually acquired by the student’s graduate advisor.

Hourly Wage Positions 

The selection process for awarding graduate teaching and research assistantships is highly competitive. For students who are not awarded research or teaching assistantships, hourly wage positions may be occasionally available to provide partial financial support through the department. Please speak with your faculty advisor about potential hourly wage positions. 

Scholarships & Fellowships

The Graduate School and other academic departments offer a variety of funding opportunities for new and current students. Information can be found on the Graduate School website under “Funding Opportunities”.

For highly qualified applicants, graduate fellowships are available from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and private foundations. Such fellowships are highly competitive but provide graduate students with a greater degree of freedom to pursue creative research while in graduate school. Interested students should work with their faculty advisors on these applications. 

SoE Grants and Scholarship 

Each academic year, a few internal grants and scholarships are available to SoE graduate students. These provide additional support for graduate students for reasons such as paying semester fees not covered by a student’s tuition waiver, buying books, and other relevant academic situations. Information about the application process will be made available late in the Fall semester. The due date for application is usually January 31^st annually. Students should monitor their school emails for correspondence about internal scholarships starting in December. If they have not received any information about scholarship applications by mid-January, students should email soe.academics@wsu.edu to be put in touch with the scholarship committee for more information. 

For International Students 

International graduate students often have special concerns that may affect their course of study, finances, and length of stay in the United States. The Office of International Programs is a valuable resource for those concerns. The Office of International Programs (IP) is in Bryan Hall Room 108; the phone number is 1-509-335-4505. Visit the International Programs website.

If the student is not a U.S. citizen, but holds permanent resident immigration status, temporary resident status, or refugee status, they should submit a copy of both sides of their Resident Allen Card, Form I-94, Temporary Resident card or other verification of their status with immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). 

For all international student issues such as tuition rates, residency requirements, employment, social security numbers and taxes, and learning English please contact the Office of International Programs directly. 

Cooperative Courses at the University of Idaho (UI) 

WSU and the University of Idaho operate a cooperative agreement by which WSU Pullman students can register at UI and take approved courses offered by UI at no extra charge. These are typically classroom courses taught on the nearby UI campus in Moscow, ID, or online. A list of UI courses available to WSU Pullman students is available at the University of Idaho’s U of I and WSU cooperative education web page.

Students should notify their faculty advisor and the graduate coordinator before signing up so that they can ensure the student signs up without risking any graduate policy or enrollment issues. 

As of Fall 2024, the registrar automatically adds U of I Co-op courses to student transcripts.

Outside Service & Club Commitment 

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the SOE & WSU community providing these activities do not influence their ability to complete assistantship duties, maintain their GPA, and complete their thesis/dissertation on time.  Social service is good for resume & experience building, and it is one of many rewarding activities that help prevent student burnout.  

Below are some of the School of the Environment’s clubs & organizations as well as some WSU organizations with which SOE students are normally affiliated: 

• SOE Graduate Student Association (GSA) 
• Graduate Student Professional Association (GPSA) 
• Environmental Science Club 
• WSU Forestry Club  
• Geology Club 
• SAFE (Student Association for Fire Ecology) 
• Water Resources Club 
• Backcountry Hunters & Anglers 

All-Campus Resources

Here is a comprehensive list of resources.

Resources include: WSU CASE/UAW information, Academic, Disability, Financial, Food & Clothing, Health, Housing, Identity & Campus Involvement, Safety & Transportation, Tech, Policies, and Training resources and things to do in the areas around your campus.

Many thanks to former Pullman M.S. in ENRS student Ksenia Pereverzeva for putting this together.

SOE Key Faculty and Staff Directory

• Allyson Beall King, Director
  • Webster 1229 (Pullman)
  • abeall@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-3009
• Dan Thornton, Associate Director of Graduate Studies
  • Webster 1152 (Pullman)
  • daniel.thornton@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-3713
• Jonah Piovia-Scott, Program Leader (Vancouver)
  • jonah.piovia-scott@wsu.edu
  • (360) 546-9210
• Kara Whitman, Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs
  • Fulmer 206BC (Pullman)
  • kmwhitman@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-7846
• Jessica Billings, SOE Business Services Manager
  • Webster 1226 (Pullman)
  • jessica.billings@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-0430
• Zoeii Freeman, SOE Graduate Coordinator (Pullman, Puyallup, Tri Cities)
  • Webster 1226 (Pullman)
  • soe.academics@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-6160
• Diego Murillo, CAS Graduate Coordinator (Vancouver)
  • Science & Engineering Building (Vancouver)
  • van.cas.gradcoordinators@wsu.edu
• Christopher Riddle, Fiscal Technician
  • Webster 1226 (Pullman)
  • christopher.riddle@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-6227
• Amanda Wagar, Post-Awards Grants Coordinator
  • Webster 1226 (Pullman)
  • soe.grants@wsu.edu
  • (509) 335-3009

Please see https://environment.wsu.edu/faculty/ and https://environment.wsu.edu/staff/ for a complete list of current SOE faculty and other personnel.